This invention relates to a safe, highly efficient process for the preparation of chloromethyl methyl ether.
Chloromethyl methyl ether is a well known and valuable substance to the chemical industry. It is best known as a chloromethylating agent, a methoxymethylating agent and for its value in the form of a Grignard reagent, e.g., CH.sub.3 OCH.sub.2 MgCl, or as methoxymethyl lithium. Ubiquitous as chloromethyl methyl ether is, it is paradoxical that it is also extremely toxic and a known carcinogen.
Prior art methods for the preparation of chloromethyl methyl ether suffer from distinct disadvantages, for example: (1) typically the chloromethyl methyl ether product, is not of high purity, i.e., usually contaminated with dichloromethyl ether or water; (2) prior art processes are typically multistep or require steps which dangerously risk exposure of the toxic chloromethyl methyl ether to workers involved in its preparation; (3) typically a user of chloromethyl methyl ether must rely on distant producers for his requirements, thus dangerously running the risk of exposing the public to chloromethyl methyl ether in the event of mishap during shipment.
Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide a safe and efficient method for the preparation of high purity chloromethyl methyl ether.